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Voyage HOME BOOK NOW PRICING ENTERTAINMENT PRICELESS CRUISE POLICIES PHOTOS FAQS CONTACT 00 days 00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds This countdown has been ended already! 00 days 00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds This countdown has been ended already! 2025 CRUISE INFO COMING SOON Book Now Book Now CRUISE FLASHBACK PAST PERFORMERS Earth, Wind & Fire Share Share this Share this link via Or copy link Copy Copied Previous Earth Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire is an American R&B and disco band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF , the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone has described them as innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet galvanizing” and has also declared that the band changed the sound of black pop”. In 1998, they were ranked at number 60 on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of Rock N’ Roll . FOLLOW EARTH WIND & FIRE ON SOCIAL Next Previous Next Chaka Khan Share Share this Share this link via Or copy link Copy Copied Previous Chaka Khan Chaka Khan is the latest woman to be inducted into the coveted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. She is a global music star that has served as an inspiration for generations of singers, songwriters, recording artists, storytellers, and musicians. Aside from being a singer, she is a distinguished songwriter, producer, visual artist, author, actress, humanitarian, activist, and mother. While her birth certificate may say Yvette Marie Stevens, in many ways, Chaka Khan is one of a kind. She is a trendsetter, a fighter, and a survivor. She redefined pop, soul, jazz, and funk, and has helped mold the contemporary music landscape into what it is today. Although Chaka has affectionately been referred to as the Queen of Funk” and is also known as the Empress of Funk, Rock and Soul,” she prefers to ditch the genre limiting monikers. After all, she has the rare ability to sing in eight different music genres, these include R&B/soul, pop, rock, gospel, country, world music, dance, and classical music. Chaka has developed a vast and loyal international fan base, and she has performed in six continents. Humble beginnings She grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and she was the eldest of four siblings. In her teenage years, Chaka and her sister, Bonnie, formed a vocal group, The Crystalettes, with two school friends. Chaka subsequently sang with several local bands before she became the lead singer for the band Ask Rufus, which would become Rufus, a group that would churn out hit after hit. She learned to trust her heart and instincts and follow her dreams from an early age. She caught the attention of Stevie Wonder, who wrote Rufus’ debut single Tell Me Something Good.” This song earned Chaka and Rufus their first Grammy Award in the Best R&B Vocal Performance by A Duo, Group or Chorus” category; moreover, it became a Top 5 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and the Billboard R&B songs charts. Rufus entertained audiences with sold-out concerts, and their smash hits include the ubiquitous Ain’t Nobody,” Once You Get Started,” Sweet Thing,” Do You Love What You Feel,” and You Got the Love,” which was co-penned by Chaka and Ray Parker Jr. A Landmark Year 2023 is a landmark year for Chaka. She celebrates her 50th anniversary in the music business, as well as her 70th birthday. An induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, class of 2023, solidifies her legacy as a musical powerhouse. With the once-in-a-lifetime performance at the ceremony, a dynamic medley of hits alongside H.E.R., Common, and Sia, stands as a testament to her generational influence within popular culture. She was bestowed the Musical Excellence Award.” The prestigious acknowledgement recognizes artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers whose originality and influence have made an impact. The Musical Excellence Award means a lot to me,” she said. This meant even more to me than getting in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, especially just to have the words ‘musical excellence’ attached to my name.” Earlier this spring, on March 29, 2023, Chaka made a special appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as part of Women’s History Month,” where she celebrated her golden anniversary in the music industry, and her 70th birthday. Five of her outfits from her music career are displayed in the Legends of Rock” exhibit. For over five decades, Chaka has remained relevant as one of the mightiest and most influential voices in modern music. Her artistic work has stood the test of time, and it continues to inspire fellow recording artists, musicians, and fans alike. Chaka possesses a voice of seductive fire and sweet smoke. At the age of 18, she came to prominence with the innovative multiracial funk and rock group Rufus. Back in the 1970s, Chaka was the group’s secret weapon, and she was both fearless and feminine. Rufus is credited for being funky, sexy and soul,” and they subsequently made an indelible mark on a generation of music.” ‘I’m Every Woman’ and other solo hits I’m Every Woman” was her debut single from her solo album Chaka,” which she released in 1978. It was Khan’s first hit outside of her recordings with the group Rufus. Her signature song I’m Every Woman” is more than just a hit single and Grammy-nominated tune, it’s a lifestyle filled with positivity. As a solo recording artist, her other hits include Clouds,” What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me,” Through the Fire” and I Feel For You,” all of which have become pop, R&B/soul, and adult contemporary classics in their own right. Speaking of I Feel For You,” which was written by Prince, it was her rendition that catapulted her to the stratosphere. It was one of the most popular songs of the ‘80s, and it made history by becoming the first R&B tune to feature a rap vocal (performed by Grandmaster Melle Mel). She also lent her powerhouse vocals on two of the biggest Grammy-winning songs of 1986: Steve Winwood’s Higher Love” and Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love.” Chaka: The frequent collaborator Aside from being one of the world’s most distinctive artists, she is known as a perennial musical explorer and song stylist. She has collaborated with such diverse artists as Prince, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, and Ariana Grande to George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, and Miles Davis. Her collaborative spirit has birthed so many musical gems. One that has become a musical trivia topic is that in 1999 Chaka’s voice became the voice for the theme song of the children’s television show Reading Rainbow.” Chaka has also collaborated on countless film soundtracks over the years including Love Me Still” from Spike Lee’s film, Clockers , My Funny Valentine” on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, Missing You,” from the Set It Off soundtrack, and her Grammy Award winning performance of the Marvin Gaye classic, What’s Goin’ On,” from the documentary film Standing in the Shadows of Motown . Chaka: The stage and theater performer In 1995, Chaka made her theater debut on London’s iconic West End, where she starred in Mama I Want to Sing.” Seven years later, in 2002, she headlined Signed, Sealed Delivered,” the musical based on the music and lyrics of Stevie Wonder. Then, in 2008, she made her way to Broadway, where she stepped into the leading role of Sophia in Oprah Winfrey’s Tony-nominated musical The Color Purple.” 10-time Grammy Winner With music and streaming sales in excess of 100 million units, Chaka’s mantel holds 10 Grammy Awards (and she has been nominated 22 times, three of which were as a band member of Rufus), and she is consistently listed as a musical influence for generations of young artists, especially women. It is lovely to be recognized by your peers, where they think you are doing a good enough job that you deserve a Grammy. It would be nice, however, if that would affect my pay grade,”...